Fire extinguisher



Aug 27, 1.929. l A A, Q BADGER v 1,725,778

FIRE EXTINGUI SHER Filed ocio. 14, 1927 fyzz/eyz Zur:

Patented Aug. 27, 1929.

UNITED STATES ARTHUR C. BADGER, 0F NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

Application led October 14, 1927.

The present invention relates to lire extinguishers of the type illustrated in my prior application for United States patent, Serial No. 143,410, tiled October 22, 1926, in which a charge of extinguishing liquid is expelled by the pressure exerted by a compressed gas, conlined in a holder or cartridge and released therefrom at the moment of use; and the cartridge is arranged to be immersed in the extinguishing liquid during discharge thereof so as to receive heat from the liquid to mitigate the'chilling effect due to expansion of the gas in its transition from the high pressure within the cartridge to the much lower pressure in the main body of the extinguisher. The object of the present invention is to provide an extinguisher of this type in which the gas cartridge is so held that its end wall or head, the wall which is -punct-ured to release its confined charge of gas, is exposed to heat transferring contact with the extinguishing liquid, when the extinguisher is inverted, and at the same time the cartridge may be inserted independently of the cover which closes the charging opening of the extinguisher.

The new steps in which the invention con sists can best be stated and explained in connection with a detailed description of a specific embodiment of the invention as follows:

In the drawings,- y

Fig. 1 is an axial section of a fire extinguisher embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section illustrating the action of the punch in puncturing the gas cartridge to release its is a cross section on line 3 3 of Y contained charge.

The extinguisher body preferably comprises a head 1, which may be made as a casting, and a shell 2 which may be made of drawn or fabricated sheet metal suitably secured to the head. The head is open at its end .for charging and is provided with a cover or cap 3 of any suitable character.

Within the head is a transverse wall or ledge 4, open in the central part in area large enough to permit passage of the gas cartridge 5 and the lower end of the cartridge holder 6. Externally the head is formed at one side with a boss 7 in which Serial No. 226,130.

is a passage 8 for discharge of the extinguishing liquid, controlled by a spring loaded discharge valve 9. A flexible hose or pipe 10 is connected with the passage 10 in accordance with the usual practice in this art.

The cartridge 5 is preferably cylidrical in form with a transverse end wall or head 11, having an area of reduced thickness capable of being punctured by a punch to release the conlined charge of gas. Preferably also the cartridge is of the type disclosed in my patent application fory impervious compressed luid container, filed October 21, 1925, Serial N o. 64,047, that is, one in Which the walls are integral and impervious and formed by an originally separate'body and cap electrically welded together after being charged with the compressed gas.

The holder 6 previously mentioned is adapted to pass part way through the hole in the wall 4 and to seat on the rim of such hole. The part which passes through the wall terminates in a ring 12 adapted to receive and hold one end of the cartridge and being preferably threaded internally to mesh with external threads on the cartridge. The same part of the holder also includes an internal annular flange 13 terminating in a lip of substantially smaller diameter than the ring 12 and disposed to bear against the cartridge head when the latter is screwed to a suliicient distance into the ring. Holes or passages 14 are formed in the sides of the holder between the ring 12 and the portion of the holder from which the flange 13 springs, whereby to admit the extinguishing liquid into contact with the cartridge head outside of the area enclosed'by the contracted lip of the iiange 13. In another manner of speaking, the part which I have referred to here as the ring 12 is the tubular extremity lof the holder.

The holder rises above the wall 4 and has an annular upper end 15, pressed upon by a spring 16, acting through a seating ring 17 and reacting on the cover 3. This spring retains the beveled shoulder 18 of the holder firmly on the complemental seat therefor in the wall 4. The spring may be made fast both to the cover and to the spring seat 14, by soldering or otherwise, or it may be left loose. y

In the sides of the holder above the wall 4 are ports 19 which open from the interior y gas between these parts, except for possiblyA of the holder to the space within the head 1 above the wall t. A pipe 20 is secured in a hole in the wall 4 and extends thence toward the bottom end of the extinguisher to provide an open passage for the released gas to the space above the liquid, when the ex tinguisher is inverted, so that the gas will not be absorbed by the liquid.

A punch plunger 21 extends through a stufling box 22 in the cover and is provided with a knob or handle 23 on its outer end. It passes through the part 15 into the open interior of the holder and carries a punch 24 which is constructed and arranged to puncture the cartridge head 11 when the head 23 is forced inward, and fill the hole so made, except for a shallow groove or recess in the side of the punch through which the gas is adapted to flow. 25 represents a Y spring latch, adapted to snap over a shoulder 2G on the plunger to prevent the punch from being blown back by the pressure of the charge y in the cartridge.

In use the extinguisher is inverted and the plunger is forced inward by striking its head 23 against any solid resistant object. The punch then penetrates the cartridge head within the area surrounded by the lip of the internal flange 13. The liquid in the main body of the extinguisher envelops the cartridge and is admitted by the ports 14 to the end wall or head over the entire area thereof outside of the flange 13. The Vgas released by puncturing of the cartridge head flows through the ports 19 into the chamber between the wall L andV the cover 3, and thence through the tube 2O to the space in the inverted bottom of the extinguisher above the liquid. The contact between the flange 13 and cartridge head 11 is close and continuous enough the prevent flow of the a wholly negligible leakage of the gas. But immediately after the action has started, the pressures inside and outside of the flange'13 are so nearly in equilibrium that there is little or no tendency for either the gas or the liquid to leak by.

The liquid is a! reservoir of heat and its contact with the cartridge, and particularly with the head 11 thereof, permits flow of heat to the gas as it expands through the restricted escape passage afforded by the recess in the side of the punch. It thus prevents such chilling of the gas in consequence of its expansion as would cause formation of solid crystals liable to choke the outlet, even though the temperature of the extinguisher and the surrounding atmosphere is very low. It enables the extinguisher to be successfully used even in the most extreme low temperatures of the higher latitudes in thetemperate zones. Itis so usable, by virtue of the thermal contact between the liquid and the head of the cartridge, at lower temperatures than would be possible if the liquid were excluded entirely from the cartridge head. It will be understood that the lip of the flange 13 may be even more contracted than shown in the drawing, the limit of contraction being the transverse area of the punch. This varea is only a small fraction of the entire area of the cartridge head.

Not only does the holder 6 permit the liquid thus to contact with the cartridge head, but it also enables the cartridge, having been applied to the holder outside of the extinguisher, to be put in place within the extinguisher independently of the cover.

llVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A lire extinguisher having a charging opening and an internal annular wall, a gas cartridge holder insertible through said opening andhaving an extremity adapted to pass through the opening surrounded by the wall and a zone of larger area adapted to rest on the wall, said extremity being formed to receive and secure one end of a gas cartridge and having an interior flange and lip arranged to bear on the included cartridge head on an outline surrounding an area substantially smaller than that of the head and having also a port to admit the extinguishing liquid to contact with the head, the holder having a central opening and a gas outlet port leading therefrom at the opposite side of said wall, a pipe arranged to provide a channel from the space into which the last named port opens to the space adjacent to the bottom end of the extinguisher, and a punch arranged to pass through said holder to penetrate the area of the cartridge head which is surrounded by said lip.

2. A fire extinguisher comprising a shell having a filling opening and an interior annular wall or ledge, a cap for said opening, a cartridge holder having a shoulder intermediate its ends arranged to seat on said ledge, one of its ends being adapted to pass through the opening surrounded by the ledge, a spring interposed between the holder and cover acting to maintain the holder in contact with the ledge, that part of the holder which extends through the ledge being formed to embrace and secured one end of a gas containing cartridge and having a port to admit the extinguishing liquid in contact with the included cartridge head, and having also an interior annular liange and lip arranged to bear on the cartridge head on a line surrounding an area substantially smaller than the total area of the head, and a punch arranged to penetrate the area of the cartridge head surrounded by said lip.

3. In a lire' extinguisher of the character set forth, a cartridge holder of tubular construction having an external encircling seating zone between its ends, one of its ends be between the cartridge receiving part and ing of smaller diameter than such zone and said flange, the part of the holder at the 0phavng an internally threaded part to receive posite side of the seating zone having an 10 and mesh with the threaded end of a Conioutlet port.

5 pressed gas cartridge and having an internal In testimony whereof I have affixed my flange with a contracted bearing lip set hack Signature.

from such end and also having a lateral port ARTHUR C. BADGER. 

